Milk macrophages from healthy female buffaloes: evaluation of phagocytosis test, spreading and hydrogen peroxide release assays

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the functioning of nonelicited dairy macrophages present in phagocytosis, spreading and hydrogen peroxide release tests. Fifty-six samples of milk were collected from 15 healthy buffaloes. Total and differential somatic cell counts, cell viability, and indexes of phagocytosis, spreading and hydrogen peroxide release were assessed. The following values were obtained: mean of 14,500 cells/mL of milk, with median equal to 4.33% of lymphocytes; mean and standard deviation equal to 50.77% + 18.28 of monocytes / macrophages and 32.13% + 19.27 polymorphouclear cells. Mean viability of cells in suspension was 66.8% +15.8; phagocytosis and spreading indexes were equal to 30.1% + 16.9 and 58.5% +13.3, respectively. There was no difference between the spontaneous release of H2O2 and the one induced by PMA. It was concluded that nonelicited macrophages present in the milk of healthy buffaloes were significantly capable to spread and phagocyte. Phagocytes presented the ability to release hydrogen peroxide either spontaneously or not, in a maximum level and with a significant variation between samples.